The present invention relates to a harness for organizing and supporting components on a subject, and more particularly to a tube harness that supports and organizes medical tubes associated with a subject.
There are a variety of surgical procedures and other treatments that result in or require the installation of medical tubes to assist in bodily functions. For example, medical tubes can be used for various functions, such as blood circulation, cardiovascular support, intravenous administration of drugs and/or the drainage of fluids from the body of the subject. Typically, medical tubes are anchored to an exit location on a subject's skin so that the tube does not dislodge from the skin or an internal organ.
An issue with medical tubes, however, is that they can inadvertently be tugged or pulled, which in turn stresses the anchor site of the tubes and the tubes' connections to internal organs. In some cases, tugging or movement of the tubes at the anchor site can result in infection at the site, or great bodily harm to the subject if a tube is associated with sustained cardiac function. Consequently, there exists a risk of tug trauma at the anchor site of the medical tubes, as well as to the organ to which the tubes are connected.
There are some vest-like constructions directed to addressing tug trauma. One such construction is shown in U.S. Published Application 2011/0023208 to Liao, which is incorporated by reference herein. Vests like those of Liao, however, can suffer some shortcomings in that the tubes are constrained to a general linear, vertical direction exiting the subject. Further, the vest normally secures many of the tubes in a fixed location directly in front of the subject. While this construction is helpful, there remains room for improvement in the field of harnesses that secure and organize medical tubes to improve mobility and safety.